Lost in Austen
by UnwrittenLaw
Summary: Two young women are thrown into Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, taking the place of the two eldest Bennet sisters. Follow them on their journey through America's favorite classic story as they try not to mess it up.
1. Beginnings

For my best friend, who is the only person that would enjoy this as much as me. Hehe!

Disclaimer: Recognizable characters belong to Jane Austen. Story line from the recent TV series, Lost in Austen. Everything else belongs to me.

* * *

"_You are mistaken, Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner." ** (Direct quotation from Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen)_

A young woman sat reading, fingers near her mouth, for she had a terrible habit of chewing on her cuticles when she sat still for too long. She shifted her weight in the hard seat, her butt quite numb from the many hours sitting in a large plane headed to London. Her destination was one of the reasons she was re-reading her favorite love story. The Chatsworth House, home of Pemberley Manor from the most recent movie, was a top priority on the young woman's list of places to visit during her short trip. Her best friend was currently residing in Newcastle as part of a study abroad program and it was a perfect excuse for the Jane Austen fan to visit the country.

Reddish blonde hair escaped from its place behind an ear falling onto the pages of the book. The young woman sighed and pulled it back again, wishing she had a hair tie on her wrist. If she was living in the time of Jane Austen's novels she would never have to worry about the fact; all the women wore their hair up. Then again she also would currently not be riding on a plane or reading about the dear Mr. Darcy; more likely hearing about him yet probably still pining after him. For who could resist the lovely Mr. Darcy? A man who could see past his pride to the woman he loved. The young woman loved the interaction of Elizabeth and Darcy in the novel and she admired Elizabeth's strength as a woman. She did not think she would have ever had the courage to talk to men the way Elizabeth did if she herself had grown up in the Bennet household.

* * *

"Oh my, did you see the way he looked at you? He definitely checked you out!"

"He was not looking at me but at you, silly."

"I bet you anything he was not."

"If you remember the last time we made a similar bet I most definitely won!"

"You did not, liar!"

Giggles cascaded through the halls as two young women raced towards their destination. The one in front had light brown hair with curls that bounced wildly as she raced down the corridor in pursuit by a redhead wearing the wrong footwear for the current occasion.

"Come on Miss Horseback Rider I thought you were in shape!"

"I am in shape but these boots are not made for running." As she said this her ankle rolled to the side and her steps faltered. The curly headed girl turned and paused for a moment to help, but soon set off running again when she saw that her friend was already on the move. The pair was side by side as they reached the door of the dormitory. Mid-stride the smaller of the two grabbed the door handle and pushed. In an effort to make it through the door first legs became entangled and in a fit of giggles the two girls fell through the door way and landed in a heap on the floor.

"Lizzy you tripped me! That is most unfair." An unfamiliar voice made both of the young women snap their heads in the direction in which they had just come. They caught sight of two women of similar age to themselves just as the door slammed shut, seemingly of its own accord.

"Did you?" The redhead asked looking dumbfounded. She turned to see her curly haired friend bore a similar expression.

"No. There is no way they went past us." She replied, still staring at the door.

"Yet we seemed to have fallen through at the same moment."

They turned to look at the door, then back at each other. "Strange," they said in unison. As they stood up the young women discovered that they were not in the dormitory but in another hallway that was quite cramped. It looked to be an attic space and there was no lighting save for a lantern whose light was flickering as it burned.

"She called her Lizzy….was that? Could that? Do you think that was Elizabeth and Jane Bennet? I'm pretty sure they were wearing period clothing…" The red-head trailed off, almost embarrassed that she even had suggested it.

"Oh my god. Are you thinking the same thing as me?" The girls looked at each other with grins spreading across their faces. They immediately erupted into a rapid discussion of their theories on the door but were interrupted by a young woman entering the hallway.

"Oh, hello." The simple looking girl curtsied and diverted her eyes. "I did not know the Bennet's were expecting visitors. Will you be staying for dinner?"

"Yes."

"And who shall I say is joining them?"

"Sarah and Rose." The servant stood there for a moment, then looked up at the redhead who had spoken. The redhead waited for her to leave. When the servant did not she turned to her petite friend who blurted, "Of Providence, Rhode Island, America." The servant looked shocked and quickly scurried down the hall.

"Where on earth did you get those names from?" The smaller of the two asked the other, quite unhappily.

"They are some of the most popular from this time period, especially in America. Where the hell did you get Providence, Rhode Island from?"

"I went there on vacation once. It's a smaller port near New York that was fairly busy in the early 1800's. I have dibs on Rose, I like that name better."

"Then I have dibs on Darcy."

"What? No! That's not fair!"

"Arguing is not going to do us any good at the moment. We need a story. You know, we should probably speak with a bit of an English accent. I'm not sure if any Americans would have accents like ours yet."

Sarah looked at her friend who was nodding. "If we really did see Jane and Elizabeth go through that door then we may have swapped places with them. We will need a story as to how we met them…like Lost in Austen!"

"Yes…we could say we have a relative in Merryton that we visited some time ago when we met Jane and Elizabeth…"

* * *

"…and immediately hit it off. Sarah and I moved to America when we were younger and have greatly missed England. Jane and Elizabeth, on the other hand, wanted to visit America. So we swapped."

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet stared at the two oddly dressed newcomers who had previously explained that they were wearing men's clothing because of their voyage to England. Their father was a ship merchant who had allowed the girls to sail on one of his ships headed to England, yet he required that the girls dress like men to avoid suspicion from the British who had begun searching ships.

Mr. Bennet, who had seemed to comprehend their story quicker than Mrs. Bennet, walked around the side of the chaise his wife was sitting on in their entertaining room. "Elizabeth did mention that she was going to be away for a while, but Jane too?" The girls were silent, unable to think of an answer.

The silence was broken by a sob from Mrs. Bennet, "Why must they leave at this time? Ridiculous Lizzy is always fantasizing about far off places but dragging my dear Jane along!" The mother broke down into terrible cries of anguish as Mr. Bennet quickly shooed the girls out of the room. "Good night ladies. Mary will show you to your rooms." He shut the door behind them but it did no good in quieting the noise from Mrs. Bennet.

The plain looking Mary had been standing just outside the doorway, waiting. "If you will follow me, Misses Evans?" She did not wait for a reply before turning to go up the stairs. Sarah and Rose followed in silence, looking about them as they walked down a hallway on the second story. "Here is your room. Do you not have any luggage? Right, you can borrow some of Lizzy and Jane's things. They are in the wardrobe." Mary curtsied then left the room.

"The curtsying is definitely going to get annoying." Announced Sarah while falling onto the bed. "Omph. This is quite uncomfortable and – hey!"

"That's a nightgown for you. One of them is taller than the other, Jane's I think. Good thing too because she likes green."

"This is crazy. We are in Longbourne. In Jane Austen's Longbourne." Rose came to sit on the edge of the bed near Sarah as she spoke. "I wonder if we are starting at the beginning."

"I'm not sure. Dinner was quite silent. We will probably find out in the morning. I don't understand how we came through the door."

"We fell."

Rose sighed, "How my door suddenly became the gateway to Jane Austen's 19th century."

"Let's not question it but enjoy the fact that we are here and hopefully going to meet two eligible bachelors who are supposed to be very attractive. How will I choose?"

"You will take Bingley because you are wearing Jane's clothes and are therefore in Jane's position."

"Excuse me but might I remind you that you have a boyfriend?"

"It's the early 19th century Sarah; he won't be born for almost 200 more years. In this era, I am a single woman."

* * *

---yay for chapter 1!


	2. Time for a Ball

The next morning the two young women found themselves at the breakfast table wearing borrowed dresses from the girls they seemed to have traded places with. Sarah wore a simple dark green dress while Rose was in navy. Earlier that morning the girls had debated over the proper hair style. Rose, with naturally curly hair, had easily pinned her curls up into a bun with a few tendrils framing her face. Sarah on the other hand, had long straight hair that refused to hold a curl. After much bickering Rose finally managed to pull Sarah's hair back into a bun after she had braided a few pieces around her face.

"Misses Evans', please tell us about your home of Providence." Mr. Bennet asked conversationally. Rose glanced at Sarah who was staring at her plate. Sighing she replied, "It's a small town on the coast above Boston. Besides being near the ocean it is very similar to Meryton." Rose's reply turned all heads to look at her, including Sarah who quickly added, "There's not much to tell about Providence. We would love to hear about what has been going on in Meryton."

Kitty, who had looked as if she was about to burst, blurted out, "Someone has let Netherfield!"

This caught the attention of Mrs. Bennet immediately. "Have you heard who it is?"

"Charlotte Lucas informed me just yesterday that it is a single man of large fortune from the north of England."

"Large fortune!" Cried Lydia.

"How much, Kitty?" Mrs. Bennet asked expectantly.

"Five thousand a year!" Kitty and Lydia burst into incessant giggling and Mrs. Bennet had trouble making herself heard. "KITTY! What is his name?" Kitty stopped giggling for a moment to reply, "A Mr. Bingley."

Mary rolled her eyes at her sister's behavior and excused herself from the table, followed by Mr. Bennet. Sarah took this as a good chance to disappear as well and grabbed Rose by the arm, leading her up the stairs.

"We are right at the beginning! We get to meet Mr. Darcy!" Sarah was dancing around their room but froze when she caught sight of Rose's expression. "What is wrong with you?"

"Elizabeth and Jane. They must come back. We are going to completely screw up the story if they don't meet Bingley and Darcy!"

"Forget the novel!"

"Sarah! This is a Jane Austen classic we are messing with. Half of the world will be after us if we change the story."

"You're telling me that you have the chance to create your own Jane Austen adventure and you are worried about messing it up? We don't even know if it would mess anything up!" Rose nodded. "That's ridiculous. You can go back if you want but I'm staying here." And with that Sarah sat down on the bed, arms crossed.

"No you are not. You are coming with me and we are going to find Elizabeth and Jane to set things straight." Rose grabbed her red headed friends arm and dragged her to the attic.

The girls stopped before the odd door at the end of the hall, staring. How a simple door could transport them into a novel was bizarre. Neither of them moved, both apprehensive.

"Go ahead Rose, go find them and bring them back. I'll wait here." Sarah gave her friend a shove forward. Rose moved closer to the door and slowly reached her arm out. Her hand made contact with the door knob and she turned it, then pushed the door forward. The door did not budge. Rose began jiggling the knob and pushing the door until finally resorting to kicking the door. "It won't open!"

Sarah stepped forward and together they tried to force open the door but to no avail. "Oh well. Looks like we are stuck here for a bit," Sarah said smugly. She started down the hall but Rose stopped her, "Wait. There is a note in the door. It's from Jane and Elizabeth!" Rose excitedly showed the note to the redhead. "It's addressed to Mr. Bennet; we should let him read it first.

* * *

"Father I know you are worried about your two eldest daughters but I assure you that we are in good health. Do not worry about Jane and I and trust in our good friends. They know what is best. Much love, Elizabeth." Rose read the letter aloud to Mr. Bennet where they, along with Sarah, stood in the study.

"May I have that letter? Thank you. I assure you that I trust my daughter and in turn I trust you. My wife, however, maybe another matter entirely." Mr. Bennet walked over to his desk as he said this and upon finishing he sat down. Sarah and Rose took this as their cue to leave. As they exited they immediately ran into Kitty who was bouncing down the hallway.

"Oh misses Evans! I am so excited!" Sarah leaned over to Rose and muttered, "we can tell" under her breath, though Kitty took no notice. "There is a horse outside and Mr. Bingley himself is waiting in the drawing room. You must come and meet him!" She proceeded down the hall beckoning the young women to follow her.

In the drawing room Sarah and Rose joined in line slightly behind the women of the Bennet family. Mrs. Bennet was addressing the young man, who listened politely. He seemed of a gentle nature, smiling at Mrs. Bennet as she spoke. He had blonde hair with a slight curl and blue eyes that twinkled when he smiled-a smile that lit up his entire face. He was most definitely attractive.

Mrs. Bennet began to introduce her daughters, "My youngest, Lydia, followed by Kitty and Mary. My two eldest are currently traveling and in their place we have Rose and Sarah Evans of Providence." As each name was said their respective owners curtsied. Rose and Sarah followed suit, a tad awkwardly. Mr. Bingley's eyes followed each girl, ending on Sarah, where he addressed her.

"Providence? I am not familiar with it?"

"It's in America, in Rhode Island." Sarah stared back at him, holding his gaze. She was quite transfixed by his deep blue eyes.

"America! How ex-"

"Mr. Bingley," Mrs. Bennet interrupted loudly. Seeing that Mr. Bingley's gaze was still on Sarah she cleared her throat, finally capturing his attention. "We hope to see you in Hertfordshire for the next ball."

"Oh yes, I shall be bringing quite a large party with me. My sisters will be coming along with a few others." Kitty let out a strange noise, almost sounding like a strangled squeak. Mrs. Bennet hurriedly said her parting words to Mr. Bingley hoping that he would not take notice. With one last look at Sarah Mr. Bingley bowed his head and left the house, closely followed by the young women.

As soon as the door was shut the girls broke into an excited chatter.

"Oh he's so handsome!" Lydia sighed.

"And rich!" exclaimed Mrs. Bennet.

"He smiles too much," stated Mary who slumped off.

"He could not take his eyes off of Ms. Evans," Kitty said loudly, looking at Sarah. She blushed and countered lamely, "It was probably because of my hair."

"I think he is quite attracted to you!" Kitty squealed and took off skipping, closely followed by Lydia. Mrs. Bennet gave Sarah a menacing look before disappearing towards the kitchen.

"Good job Sarah. You pissed off the mother hen."

Sarah looked worriedly at Rose, "It's not my fault!" She cried, opening the front door.

"Where are you going?"

As she walked Sarah half turned to reply, "For a walk. I need some fresh air to think."

Rose started to turn away but then decided to follow her. "Oh wait up." She ran to catch up to her friend who said to her excitedly, "Do you really think he likes me?"

Rose rolled her eyes, "I do think he is attracted to you. Though your hair is strikingly red in that dress…maybe he was shocked by the color."

"You!" Rose ducked as Sarah went to hit her and took off running down the garden path, their laughter floating behind them.

* * *

_AN: Small sections of this were taken from the book with a few changes made to suit the story._

The ball came soon enough and the young women of the Bennet household were dressed in their best to attend. Kitty had spent the day alternating agonizing over her hair to the fact of Mr. Bingley bringing his sisters with him.

"With so many girls there will not be enough men to dance with!" Kitty cried ("for the hundredth time" Mary sighed) as the group loaded up the carriage, minus Mr. Bennet who had chosen to stay behind. Lydia nodded in agreement and Mrs. Bennet tried her best to placate her daughters. Upon arriving they found that Kitty's fears were confirmed, the gentlemen were scarce and many were forced to sit out of dances. Kitty and Lydia happened to be the only ones who found this a tragedy.

"Good thing, too. I would have no idea what to do in these silly dances. I don't even know how they call that a dance anyways. It's more of a strange dosi-do." Sarah commented from where she and Rose stood to the side of the room.

Rose laughed, "Don't you remember PE in elementary school? We always did line dancing!"

"I must have blocked the memory." Sarah shuddered. "It is never good to require dancing in school, especially with a partner. In elementary they have cooties, in middle school everyone is afraid to talk to the opposite sex, and in high school you can't keep the two sexes off of each other."

At this moment Charlotte Lucas walked over to the pair with an alarmed look on her face, "Did you just say…._sex_?"

Rose snorted and Sarah smiled, "Yes, I was talking about the opposite sexes and how dancing changes over time and, never mind." Seeing Miss Lucas' confused expression she changed the subject. "You're Miss Lucas, correct?"

"Yes, I just spoke with Mrs. Bennet and came to introduce myself." She curtsied and began to continue when she spotted a party walking through the door. "Oh look! It's Mr. Bingley. I wonder who that gentleman is with him. He is quite handsome."

Sarah and Rose turned to inspect the newcomers. Mr. Bingley's companion, Mr. Darcy they later learned, was indeed handsome. He drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien-and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance of his having ten thousand a year. Along with the party was Mr. Bingley's two sisters and Mr. Hurst, his brother-in-law. His sister's were fine women, with an air of decided fashion. Rose instantly disliked them.

"God I knew they were proud from reading the book but seeing them in person they are extremely arrogant just in their looks. They look like complete bitches."

"Rose!" Sarah chided Rose for the use of her language. "That is not ladylike speech."

Rose rolled her eyes, "And I guess you like them because you have caught the attention of Mr. Bingley?"

Sarah blushed; she had already danced with Mr. Bingley once and planned for a second. "I do not dislike anyone until I have a reason to."

"They are reason enough for me." Leslie growled and stomped off as Lydia came over to gush about her latest dance partner. She found a chair to sit in and watch the dance, only to overhear Mr. Bingley speaking to Mr. Darcy.

"Come Darcy," said he, "I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had better much dance."

"I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be punishment to me to stand up with."

At this statement Rose was enraged. She knew Mr. Darcy's character from the book but hearing him in person was entirely different. His arrogant manner was appalling and the way he looked down upon everyone was….well, Rose would call him an extremely rude word. She tuned back into their conversation to hear Mr. Bingley say, "What about Miss Evans? She is very agreeable." Bingley turned to look at Sarah who was chatting with Charlotte and laughing.

"She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; and she is currently your partner. You had better return to her and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time on me." Mr. Bingley followed his advice. Darcy walked off right as Rose stood up and stepped into his path.

"Mr. Darcy, would you not find _me_ agreeable?" Rose was surprised by her boldness but her anger was too much. Mr. Darcy faltered, taken aback. Rose almost smiled, **could she break through this man's pride?**

"I do not attend to eavesdroppers, Miss Evans."

**Apparently not.** Mr. Darcy left Rose standing in defeat.

"What did you say to Darcy?" Sarah asked, appearing by her side.

"I thought you were dancing with Bingley."

Sensing Rose's anger Sarah asked, "What did he say to you?"

"Sarah you would not believe what an asshole he is!" A few heads turned and Sarah ushered Rose to a more private corner of the room. Rose launched into a hushed telling of the conversation she overheard and her short meeting with Darcy.

"Rose, he starts out like this in the book! He just needs to….be brought out of his shell, so to speak."

Rose shook her head, "I don't think it's going to be that easy. I am not Elizabeth Bennet." Sarah acted like she was listening but Rose could see that she kept glancing around the room. Rose couldn't help but think that her friend was a little too preoccupied with a certain Mr. Bingley.


	3. And When It Rains

_A/N: If you like the story/chapter, please review it. It's always lovely to know that someone else is enjoying it as much as I am. Again, some sentences/parts are taken from the actual book._

Mrs. Bennet declared the first ball of the season a success. She was so delighted that Lydia and Kitty had both hardly been without a partner that she forgot her worry over Jane and Elizabeth being absent. The ball was discussed with the Miss' Bennet's closest friends, The Lucas'. They all came to the agreement that Mr. Darcy was quite intolerable and could not understand how he and Mr. Bingley kept the same company. Sarah, who had been told by Miss Bingley, stated that Darcy never speaks much unless among his intimate acquaintances and with them he is remarkably agreeable. No one was convinced. The conversation went on to discuss the fashion of everyone in attendance at the ball and Sarah noticed that Rose had disappeared. She excused herself to find her friend. Outside Rose was spotted sitting on a wooden swing hanging from a large tree branch.

"There you are. What is wrong with you? You are normally the social one and I am the one who finds a chance to slip away."

Rose was quiet, her eyes on something far away. It was a moment before she answered. "Honestly, I can't stand how obsessed with Bingley you are! You won't shut up about him."

Sarah was taken aback. "Excuse me but let me remind you of senior year when you ditched your friends to hang out with your boyfriend. You had your moment, this is mine. At least I'm not ditching you." Sarah turned her back, angry. She couldn't believe Rose would accuse her of that.

Rose started to protest but stopped, they had been through this before. Sarah leaned against the tree and closed her eyes. This was _her_ time to stupidly obsess over a boy. Make that, gentleman. Most of high school she had had her crushes here and there but never did the person feel the same way and the ones that did like her, well she never liked them back. "For once in my life I'm going to enjoy the fact that I like a guy who feels the same way. So what if it's a fictional character?"

Rose laughed, she couldn't help herself. "You would be the one that falls in love with the guy from the 19th century. But what about Darcy?"

"You said it yourself, he's an asshole. I'm going to enjoy the attention from Bingley who is actually a respectable gentleman. Not prideful. Why don't you turn your interests to Darcy instead of fretting over me?"

"I have a boyfriend."

Sarah sighed, "Yes but in this time period he does not exist."

Rose scowled, "If that's true than neither do we."

Sarah could see that her curly haired friend just wanted to stew, so she left her to her thoughts. She had known Rose long enough to know that when a mood like this took over, nothing would change her mind. Best to leave it for now; tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

But tomorrow was not a better day. Rose was still in a foul mood and kept her distance from Sarah. Breakfast had been more talk of the regiment that was quartered in Meryton. Lydia and Kitty had spent the past few days visiting their aunt, Mrs. Phillips, in town. Mr. Phillips visited all the officers and soon the two girls came to know them all. They talked of nothing else and Rose found herself in Mr. Bennet's study searching for a book to read to escape. Every title she came across sounded either absurd or theological. Her fingers grazed across the bindings as she searched, finally resting upon Frankenstein. She pulled the book out and took it over to the window seat where she tried to get lost in the story.

After spending the morning with Mary on the pianoforte, Sarah went to explore the grounds. She came across the stables and breathed in the smell of horses and leather. It was comforting to her. Horses had been a part of her life for so long. The redhead found a hardy looking chestnut along with a pair of draft horses. The drafts were used for pulling the carriage and working in the fields, so Sarah chose the chestnut. She wasn't sure of the breed, but he looked sane enough to ride.

After poking around the stable Sarah soon had the chestnut groomed and ready to ride. She snuck the horse out of the barn, walking around the side of the house and into the line of trees where she couldn't be seen. She found a stump and mounted only to exclaim "oh!" as she realized that it was a side-saddle. "Well this is going to be fun," she told the chestnut.

With her legs both on one side of the horse it made it difficult to control the horse. If only she had noticed she would have grabbed a whip. That would help keep his hind end from swinging around. Despite this Sarah managed to get the horse moving and laughed at the strange feeling of the saddle. She rode the horse through the words along a path, heading towards the open country.

"Oh screw it," Sarah muttered and swung her leg so that she now had one on either side. "Much better."

Time stood still as Sarah galloped the horse through the fields. Riding was her time to forget everything but the horse beneath her. Unfortunately she failed to notice the approaching storm and was soon caught in the rain.

As the heavy drops began to fall she slowed the horse and turned to go back but the animal was prancing, unresponsive. "Easy boy, it's just rain," Sarah tried to soothe him and nudge him forward. She was relieved when Longbourn became visible. As the rain quickened the horse became antsier and soon began spinning in circles, balking every time its rider asked him to move forward.

"Stupid horse! I can see the house in front of us, even a dumb horse knows where his home is!" The horse refused to listen, shaking his head and crow-hopping. Lightening struck causing the horse to rear right as he started to spin, flinging Sarah into the ground. The frightened animal took off running in the opposite direction of the house, leaving its rider behind. Sarah had rolled into the fall and saved herself from injury. The red head pushed herself up and glared after the horse. She would have to go after him; Mrs. Bennet would be quite upset if she did not bring her horse back. Sighing, she stood up and stalked after the animal, sloshing through the wet grass. The rain was coming down so heavily know that vision was scarce and finding the horse was going to be difficult. She knew the trees were her best bet and as she turned towards them the ground came up to meet her face. Sarah didn't even register the fact that she had stepped in a hole before the world went black.

* * *

"How long has she been out?"

"Since yesterday afternoon; the doctor told us to let her sleep so her body could fight the illness."

Sarah heard the voices as if they were far off, but as a cold hand was pressed to her forehead she realized they were right next to her. She tried to open her eyes but they were too heavy. Her mouth seemed to be working though.

"What did she say?" That was Bingley's voice filled with concern.

Sarah cleared her throat and tried again, "Your hand's cold, Rose." Finally managing to get her eyes open she saw Rose was sitting in a chair next to the bed with Bingley standing behind her. Sarah closed her eyes again, wishing they would leave her. She hated for people to see her when she looked horrible, especially very attractive young men. Opening her eyes again Sarah tried to push herself up into more of a sitting position only to be rewarded with a pounding in her head. Eyes closed again, this time squinting as her head pounded, Sarah grunted "My head kills."

"You knocked yourself out," Rose explained. "You should rest; Mr. Bingley has offered to let you stay until you are better." She looked to the tall gentleman behind her for confirmation. Mr. Bingley nodded. "Would you give us a minute?" Rose asked him, and he left the room. Once the door shut Rose turned to Sarah and said accusingly, "What were you thinking!"

Sarah was shocked by her friend's anger. Here she was sick, in bed, and Rose had the nerve to yell at her. "Rose I feel like shit and I can barely move. Save the accusations for later."

"The whole Bennet household was in hysterics! Mrs. Bingley thought you had stolen her horse! Even Mr. Bingley was heated. It was a mess! Thank god they sent over a letter to Longbourn first thing this morning. The fact that you were harmed placated Mrs. Bennet long enough to let me leave for Netherfield." Rose paused to catch her breath and Sarah took in the fact that it was not Longbourn she had seen in the rain, but Netherfield. _Stupid horse was right_, she thought. "Why couldn't you have told someone that you were going out? You're extremely lucky Mr. Darcy found you! The fact –"

"Darcy found me?" Sarah interrupted.

"Yes! He just _happened_ to be standing at the window that just _happened_ to face in your direction. You are very lucky!"

Rose continued going on but Sarah was not listening. She was trying to piece her thoughts together, unsuccessfully. She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she didn't notice when she murmured "Darcy found me" and jumped when Rose cried out, "Yes!" Sarah groaned and scrunched her face up in pain.

Rose muttered an apology and lowered her voice when she continued, "Apparently he carried you back inside himself. You were soaked to the bone and shivering uncontrollably. How could you be so stupid?" Rose looked at Sarah for an answer, or at least an explanation, but the redhead was lost in her own thoughts. Fuming, Rose stood up to leave the room but was stopped when she heard Sarah mutter something. "What was that?" She asked.

Sarah sighed, "I'm in Jane Austen's most popular novel and I'm on freaking bed rest. I am most definitely not lucky."

Despite her anger Rose could not help letting out a giggle as she exited the room.

* * *

Rose had walked with Kitty and Lydia all the way to Meryton earlier that morning before parting ways to continue on to Netherfield. She had arrived at the mansion out of breath from the exercise, hair slightly messy, and the bottom of her skirts covered in mud from trudging through the fields. This caused quite a scene among the inhabitants of Netherfield and Rose was convinced that Bingley's sisters held her in contempt for it. However, they received her with politeness and in the case of Bingley there was good humor and kindness. Darcy, of course, said very little though his eyes never left her face.

After her short conversation with Sarah, Rose had found Caroline Bingley, Darcy, and Mr. Bingley in the drawing room. She was happy to see that Bingley's other sister and her husband was absent, their false politeness annoyed her. Caroline would be more tolerable without her sister there, but Rose grabbed a book and sat down upon a chair to read. This way she would not be required to make false pleasantries with Miss Caroline Bingley.

Therefore, it quite startled Rose when Mr. Bingley addressed her; she had in fact become engrossed in her book. "I'm sorry, what did you ask me?"

Bingley repeated his question "Is there another book you would like to read? There are more in the library."

Rose shook her head and assured him that the book in her hands was enjoyable.

"I am astonished," said Miss Bingley, "that my father should have left so small a collection of books. What a delightful library you have at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy!"

Rose rolled her eyes. Trust Caroline Bingley to somehow bring the conversation back to Darcy.

"It ought to be good, it has been the work of many generations," replied Darcy.

"And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying books."

_Could she be any more obvious?_ Rose thought. She looked over at Darcy who was writing a letter at a desk by the window. He seemed to be focusing more on the letter than the conversation. _Okay, with Darcy's obliviousness it's no wonder he never really notices her. _

"I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these."

"Neglect!" Gushed Caroline, "I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place. Charles, when you build your house, I wish it may be half as delightful as Pemberley."

Rose almost laughed aloud but quickly hid it as a cough/strange gagging sound. The others looked at her, Caroline in disgust, Bingley in shock and Darcy in interest. Rose avoided their gazes and apologized, mumbling about something caught in her throat. Bingley made sure she was alright, Caroline turned her nose away, and Darcy continued to stare. The staring was starting to get on Rose's nerves but for the moment she ignored it, hoping the subject would turn away from her. Caroline happily obliged.

"Mr. Darcy, how is your sister? Has she grown much since the spring?"

Turning back to his letter Darcy replied, "Yes, she is now about Miss Rose Evan's height, or rather taller."

"How I long to see her! I never met with anybody who delighted me so much. Such a countenance, such manners! And so extremely accomplished for her age! Her performance on the pianoforte is exquisite."

Rose was quick this time to hide her laugh in a coughing fit, waving away Bingley when he started towards her. Reluctantly he stepped back.

"It is amazing to me," said Bingley, "how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are."

"Accomplished!" cried Rose, "Good manners and playing the piano is accomplished?"

"Not only that but they paint tables, cover screens, and net purses. I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard of a young lady spoken of for the first time without being informed that she was very accomplished."

"If that's so then it degrades the meaning of the word! And I know plenty of 'accomplished' women who do not paint tables or net purses." Rose laughed. How different this time was from her own.

"I agree," said Darcy, surprising them all, "I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished."

"Oh certainly!" Bingley laughed, "In your eyes a woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, all the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved."

"All this she must possess and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading," Darcy added as he eyed Rose.

The petite young woman laughed, "Good luck finding that woman!" Rose wondered how he managed to fall in love with Elizabeth. Had Jane Austen misjudged her own characters? She could not see how anyone would be attracted to this man for anything besides his money. Even his good lucks were marred by his arrogant demeanor.

Darcy narrowed his eyes, "Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?"

"Of course not! First off it would be quite impossible for anyone to actually _want_ to posses all of those qualities. Secondly, she would not truly have any improvement to her mind except in the ways of the arts which honestly are not going to get her anywhere in life. If there was such a woman I cannot see why anyone would be attracted to her."

"And why not?" demanded Darcy.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Never mind, obviously I was wrong." She was in no mood to argue with him, knowing that it would get her nowhere. She wanted to believe that he was the man Jane Austen had written him to be, but it was proving to be very difficult. Rose stood up, annoyed with the outcome of the conversation. "I'm going to check on Sarah." She swept out of the room before she made her true feelings known. The three watched her leave, Darcy with curiosity, Bingley slightly worried, and Caroline glad to see the back of her. Miss Bingley quickly turned her attentions to Darcy who in turn went back to his letter writing.


	4. They Call Me Quiet, But I'm a Riot

_A/N: I had a hard time starting this chapter. I know where I want this story to go but getting there is proving difficult. I am deciding what scenes to omit and for the ones I do include I have to figure out how they will work with the story I want to tell. Add in the fact that I need to make sure I have all my bases covered and well, it's a bit of a struggle at times! I hope this chapter makes sense and that I gave you enough insight into the character's minds. Enjoy! Oh, and of course, please review! _

_As always, I thank Jane Austen for sharing this wonderful story with us._

* * *

"Sarah, I hope this letter finds you feeling better. Father and I wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you soon. Unfortunately mother is not as kind towards you. Lizzie and Jane's absence has not set well with her nerves and she has become very anxious. Yesterday she tore around the house in a fit after Father received another letter from my eldest sisters. Mother refuses to accept that they are happy in America. I wish you would come home soon; your extended stay with Mr. Bingley does not make Mother happy at all. I fear she believes you are trying to 'steal the best eligible men', as she put it. Please do not let this information hinder your recovery. Best, Mary."

Sarah read the letter to Rose, her frown growing as she finished. She shook her head, pieces of her red hair falling from a messy bun.

"I wonder if we would even be welcomed back at Longbourn."

Rose shrugged, "We don't have to worry about that for a few more days. Bingley won't hear of you leaving yet."

"But I'm fine!" Sarah protested.

"Yes well he does seem to have an ulterior motive," Rose gave Sarah a knowing look, causing the redhead to roll her eyes.

"He barely even speaks to me; it's more of a staring thing. Kind of creepy, to be honest."

Rose laughed, "Then why don't you try talking to him. Take your own advice and break him out of his shell."

Sarah smiled at her friend, "Sure, sure. Just as soon as you do."

The girls both jumped when a throat was cleared behind them. They turned to see Bingley in the doorway of the room that Sarah and Rose had shared the previous night. Rose stood up from the chaise she was occupying, curtsied, and exited the room before either could say anything. Sarah stared after her friend, shaking her head in disbelief.

Bingley walked halfway into the room then paused. He twisted his hands nervously, eyes cast down._ Looks as if I'm going to have to take the initiative_, Sarah thought, _this is completely backwards_.

"Mr. Bingley-"

"Miss Evans, I-"

The two spoke at the same time and abruptly stopped when they realized this. Red crept into Sarah's cheeks and she cursed her pale skin. Taking a deep breath she glanced at Bingley before starting again, "Would you accompany me on a walk? Fresh air would be lovely."

Bingley smiled and walked forward with more confidence than before. "Of course." He held out his arm for Sarah who graciously took it.

"Is your sister alright?" Bingley asked in earnest. "She seemed quite distressed last night."

"My sister? Oh Rose, yes, she's fine. She gets heated very easily but is quick to forgive. Give her a night to sleep on it and she will have forgotten the whole thing the next morning." Sarah knew this was not entirely true. Rose could hold a grudge. But she decided to keep that fact to herself.

"Good." Bingley was quiet for a moment, debating his next words. He led Sarah around the gardens behind Netherfield. The weather was comfortable and the sun warmed their skin. The gardens were beautiful, flowers spilled from their beds threatening to overtake the walkway. Sarah loved the colors of them against the deep green of the woods in the distance. _What beautiful country_, she thought and sighed to herself, she would love to live here.

"What do you think makes a young lady accomplished?"

Sarah stopped and stared at Bingley questioningly. She wondered where this question came from. "Well," She began, "I think you are accomplished when you reach a goal that you have set."

Bingley smiled, "Yes, but I was asking more along the lines of skills and talents that a young lady posses."

"Oh! Um…" Sarah paused, trying to figure out how to answer him, "I would still give you the same answer. I don't think there are any certain 'talents' that a girl _needs_ to posses. I guess a young lady needs to have whatever skills necessary for what she wants to do in life."

Bingley laughed. When he saw Sarah's incredulous expression he quickly explained, "You always give very interesting answers; answer's I would never expect."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

He thought for a moment before replying, "Both." Bingley laughed again and Sarah joined him this time. He led them over to a stone seat in the middle of the garden and let Sarah sit before he did. _Such a gentleman_, she thought.

"Miss Evans-"

"Please, call me Sarah."

Bingley hesitated for a moment, "Sarah, what is your home like in America? I have never had the opportunity to visit."

Sarah blanched. She had no idea what Rhode Island looked like. Rose had visited there, not her. The redhead racked her brain for anything she could remember about the small state. "It's beautiful. We live by the sea in a valley nestled by mountains," She lied, "The summers are the best, with a cool breeze from the ocean that tastes of salt. It's the perfect warm weather." She hoped that Rhode Island had some of these features. She had better ask Rose the next time she saw her.

Sarah looked over at Bingley to calculate his expression. His eyes were closed, possibly imagining what she had described to him. She took the moment to study his features. He had a boyish look to his face and a gentle expression. She could never imagine him angry, the look would not go on his face; quite unlike his companion whose eyes always seemed to be narrowed. Bingley's mouth was soft, the corners almost always pulled up in a slight smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners, already lines forming from smiling so often. And then there was the line between his brows that appeared when he was worried. Sarah found when that happened she wished to reach out and smooth the worry away.

He was handsome-Sarah would give him that-but she wasn't sure if she was really attracted to him. His actions made it clear that he was quite intrigued by her; but she couldn't decide if that was the only reason she liked him.

Bingley opened one eye to peek at Sarah after she had been silent for a moment. She immediately blushed and looked down, embarrassed to have been caught studying him.

"Why did you leave?"

"I didn't have a choice." Sarah blurted out the words before she realized what she was saying. She regretted the answer immediately. Sarah and Rose Evans had come to America to exchange places with Elizabeth and Jane, they had _not_ happened to fall through a door into the 19th century. Lying was difficult, but it avoided the questions that were too hard to explain. In an attempt to save herself she added, "Rose really wanted to come and father wouldn't let her go alone. Of course I offered to go as well."

"That does not mean you had no choice."

"No, but when Rose puts her mind to something you don't disagree. You just go along with her and hope for the best." It was a true statement though not in response to what he had said.

"Why did _you_ not want to come?"

Boy is he persistent, she thought. "It's not that I didn't want to come, it's just that…." Sarah realized she did not have answer she could tell him. How do you explain to someone that you are from the 21st century and fell through a door back in time? Actually, not only did she fall back in time she fell into one of the most popular romantic novels of all time. Sarah didn't think it would go over too well if she told Bingley that he was a fictional character.

"I…I get seasick easily. The ride on the ship was not an inviting thought." Sarah hoped that answer would satisfy him. She quickly changed the subject, "What brought you to Netherfield?"

"My job, and to enjoy the country for a while."

"How do you like it?"

"It is very agreeable."

"Do you think you will stay here long?" Sarah prompted, trying to get him to open up to her. **To say something besides what etiquette allowed.**

"For now yes."

**Fail**.

"What do you mean by that?" **Attempt number two.**

"If I am called away again I shall go. I enjoy the country while I am here but I also enjoy the city when I am there."

**Again, fail.**

Sarah frowned. Bingley was holding true to his character. Would he apply this same concept to his interest in her? Could she be so easily forgotten if he went away? That was definitely one for the con list that she was forming in her head. To date the list was as follows;

Pros: Handsome, Gentleman, Infatuated with her

Cons: Fictional character, Could easily forget her (and too eligible for that matter), Questionable relations (i.e. Caroline Bingley)

She had debated whether to add 'no meaningful conversation' to the con list but then again she wasn't giving him anything to work with. A relationship built on lies would never work. Sarah had no idea why she was even debating this over a _fictional character_(!).

"What are you thinking?" Bingley asked causing Sarah to look at him confused. She hadn't been silent for more than a moment. "I can tell your thinking when you bite your lip."

Again, Sarah blushed. He was much too observant. Would that go on her pro or con list?

She shook her head, causing a piece of her red hair to fall into her eyes. She brushed it away along with the silly list she had been making. "Nothing, I-" Sarah began but stopped abruptly. That wasn't a fair answer. _If_ she believed he was real and _if _she wanted to attempt a relationship she would have to start giving honest answers. "I was wondering how his could be real." Close enough.

"What do you mean?"

Sarah was hesitant to answer, "I…It's so beautiful here and the people I have met are so….formal. And you, you have been so kind. I'm not used to this; it's hard to believe it's all real."

Bingley smiled and when Sarah gave him a questioning look he answered, "You are biting your lip again."

She quickly dropped her gaze, annoyed with him for being so observant. Red crept back into her cheeks from frustration. Why _couldn't_ this be real?

Sarah flinched in surprise when Bingley's hand touched her chin and lifted her head to meet his gaze. He didn't notice though, his eyes were locked on hers with a strange fierceness. It took a moment and then it hit Sarah - she recognized this look. Her heart started racing and she froze; she hadn't decided about this yet. And then he kissed her.

* * *

Sarah went searching for Rose in the afternoon after having spent the rest of her morning alone. The fact that Bingley had kissed her took her by surprise. For some strange reason she had felt the urge to slap him. Instead she politely excused herself and fled to the stables. Wrapped in the comfort of horses Sarah realized how foolish that thought had been. A respectable and attractive man kisses her and she wants to slap him! What was wrong with her?

Then again, this was the 19th century, and was it not looked down upon to be so brazen? Yet she had wanted him to say something real, something to make her see him as another person and not just a fictional character from a book. That kiss was definitely real.

The conflicting thoughts raged in Sarah's mind until finally she gave up trying to figure out how she felt. She found Rose in the drawing room. Darcy was there, seated at a desk where he appeared to be writing a letter, along with Caroline and Mr. Bingley. As Sarah took in the occupants of the room she realized that she had no idea what Bingley's first name was. She was suddenly overcome with a dreadful sensation in her stomach and for some reason felt like a slut. Inwardly Sarah shook off the feeling and almost laughed at herself. They had only kissed!

The redhead walked into the room, unnoticed by the occupants. She sat down next to Rose on a settee, startling her. The smaller of the two friends had again been reading a book which now landed with a loud thump on the floor. Bingley paused where he was pacing by the window and looked over with alarm. Sarah couldn't decide if he was shocked by the book falling or the sight of her. Darcy barely glanced up from his letter writing and Caroline stared at the newcomer with pursed lips.

"So nice of you to drop in, un-announced."

Sarah smiled sweetly, "Your welcome." She had not exchanged but a few short sentences with Caroline in which the two had been very formal. It was not like Sarah to pass judgment too early, but she was pretty sure she did not like Caroline. However, she treated her with gentle civility. _Kill them with kindness_, she thought.

Rose looked at Sarah with distaste for the way she talked to Caroline. Rose was entirely different in that manner and would prefer to ignore Bingley's sister or respond with indifference. She could only take so much of her.

"How delighted Miss Darcy will be to receive such a letter!" Caroline cried to Darcy.

He made no answer.

"You write uncommonly fast."

"You are mistaken. I write rather slowly."

"How many letters you must have occasion to write in the course of the year! Letters of business too! How odious I should think of them!"

It was moments like these when Rose wondered for the woman's sanity. It was obvious she could not take a hint. Either that or Caroline had no shame. What pride.

"It is fortunate, then, that they fall to my lot instead of to yours."

"Pray tell your sister that I long to see her."

"I have already told her so once, by your desire."

"I am afraid you do not like your pen. Let me mind it for you. I mend pens remarkably well."

"Thank you - but I always mend my own."

"How can you contrive to-"

"Oh do shut it!" Rose interrupted, fed up with her ridiculousness. How Darcy dealt with it she would never understand. Caroline stared at her, in complete shock. Her brother, who had returned to pacing, paused and covered his mouth. Sarah had the sneaking suspicion that he was hiding a laugh, something she would tell Rose later. Darcy locked eyes with Rose for a long moment and then turned his attention back to his letter. Rose could swear she saw the corners of his mouth turn up into the slightest smile.

Bingley was the first to speak, in an attempt to lighten the mood. There was such hostility emanating between Caroline and Rose. Bingley preferred to avoid arguments of any kind and merrily exclaimed, "Miss Evans, I hear you enjoy playing the pianoforte! Would you indulge us for some music?"

"Who told you that?" Sarah asked before she could stop herself, but immediately shot Rose a dirty look. Besides the Bennet's, Rose was the only other person in the 19th century that knew she could play.

Miss Bingley responded before her brother could say anything and encouraged Sarah to play as well. Sighing she gets up and walks over to sit at the piano. Sarah has been playing the piano since she could remember but has never had a great memory. She starts to play Clair de Lune, one of the few pieces she has actually memorized. She is pretty sure that Debussy was not yet born but hoped no one would comment.

The few mistakes she makes are unnoticed by the others. Caroline soon goes to sit beside Sarah, and together they play from a book on the piano. Bingley drifts over after a moment and Rose is appalled to find him gazing lovingly at her friend. The pair had disappeared for a few hours that morning in the garden. Rose was almost afraid to ask Sarah what had transpired earlier.

Yet she was most troubled by how frequently Mr. Darcy's eyes were fixed on her. She really did not like him and could not possibly see what he could like in her. Or that he even liked her, for that matter. Rose supposed that he was only perplexed by the way she had treated Caroline earlier. She was pretty sure that in Jane Austen's time no one spoke to another in that manner.

Caroline found a song with a Scottish air that made Sarah giggle at the upbeat rhythm. Bingley, after questioning from Sarah about the music, began dancing a little jig that had Caroline and Sarah laughing so much they could hardly continue playing. Rose watched them, smiling, and was shocked when Darcy stepped into view.

"Do you not, Miss Evans, feel a great inclination to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?"

"If I had any idea what a real was I –" Rose stopped and shook her head, "well no, not even then."

Darcy did not move, unsure of how to respond. He could not understand why he had begun to be fascinated by her. Maybe it was the ease of which she spoke and so easily dismissed him. If it wasn't for her inferior connections he would have believed himself to be in some danger.

* * *

_A/N: Ah! I did not plan for Bingley to kiss Sarah. It was one of those moments when the characters had a mind of their own. Bahahaha! I also had not meant to write such a long chapter (and I actually wrote more that I took out to save for the next chapter)… I think I am enjoying this too much! Please review, it helps fuel my excitement. Oh and before I get everyone telling me, I do know that Bingley's first name is Charles ___


	5. You're Wrong When it's Right

_A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews! I wish I could get these chapters up sooner but school always comes first. Even still I try to shoot for a chapter a week. Enjoy! _

Caroline, ever observant of Darcy, noticed his growing fascination with Rose. This only caused her to work even harder for his attention and annoying Rose further. Caroline tried to provoke Darcy into disliking her by talking of their supposed marriage and planning their happiness together.

Rose's frustrations with Caroline caused her to forget her inquiries for Sarah about her time with Bingley. She instead was quiet most of the morning, thinking about Darcy and his watchful eyes. His deep brown eyes were constantly searching her. She found that she could lose herself in those eyes but when she thought of whom they belonged to, she shuddered. Rose already did not like him due to his pride and now she added that he seemed to enjoy the attention from Caroline. Why else had he not told her off?

That evening after dinner the entire party retired to the drawing room. Sarah and Bingley occupied the settee, scarcely talking to anyone but themselves. Mr. Hurst attempted to have Darcy join him in a game of cards but he refused and found a book to occupy his time. Caroline was very engaged in watching Darcy make his way through his book and would often make an inquiry about his page. Rose sat as far away from the pair as she could, trying to drown out the sound of Caroline's voice.

Miss Bingley soon tired of reading and threw her book aside, yawning loudly and upon hearing her brother mention a ball she exclaimed, "By the bye, Charles, are you really serious in meditating a dance at Netherfield? I would advise you, before you determine on it, to consult the wishes of the present party; I am much mistaken if there are not some among us to whom a ball would be rather a punishment than a pleasure."

Bingley laughed, "If you mean Darcy he may go to bed, if he so chooses, before it begins!"

"I should like balls infinitely better if they were carried on in a different manner, but there is something insufferably tedious in the usual process of such a meeting. It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of dancing made the order of the day."

Rose had a sudden thought to send Caroline to the 21st century. It would get rid of her and she would undoubtedly enjoy it. Rose smiled at the thought of the damage Caroline would cause.

"Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say; but it would not be near so much like a ball."

Sarah laughed at Bingley's comment, earning a glare from Caroline. She had nothing to say in response and got up to walk about the room. Her figure was elegant, a fact she knew and used in an attempt to gain Darcy's attention. He, however, remained inflexibly studious. In desperation Caroline turned to Rose and asked,

"Miss Rose Evans, let me persuade you to follow my example and take a turn about the room. I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude."

Rose looked up, she was curious as to what attitude she was currently sitting in. Knowing where this was headed, Rose joined Caroline despite her misgivings. Caroline offered to Darcy to join them, which he declined saying that he knew of two motives for their walking and would not want to interfere with either.

Rose turned to Caroline and told her, "He means to be severe on us and our surest way of disappointing him will be to ask nothing about it."

Of course Caroline could not follow her advice, she would never disappoint Darcy. Rose sighed and responded before Darcy could, "He believes that either we are in each other's confidences and mean to discuss secrets, or that we know our figures appear at the greatest advantage when walking. If it is the latter he of course would much rather be sitting to admire us." Rose looked at Darcy as she said this, watching his face turn from smug to confused.

Miss Bingley gasped and said, "How shocking! I have never heard anything so abominable. Is this true Mr. Darcy?"

"It is."

"Oh but he is only joking, is he not?" Rose looked at Caroline for the answer. "Intimate as you are you would know how he is."

"But upon my honor I do not. I assure you my intimacy has not taught me that."

Darcy looked at Rose as he stated, "I do not make jokes Miss Evans. I believe you do not understand my character at all."

Rose laughed at Darcy, "Oh but I do! I know that your defect is your temper. Is it not that your good opinion once lost is lost forever?"

Darcy was astounded. How did she know this about him? He never believed himself to be easy to read; in fact he tried to hide his faults. "There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome."

"And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody."

"And yours," Mr. Darcy smiled, "is willfully to misunderstand them."

"Let us have some music! My dear Brother would you mind if I borrowed Miss Evans?" Caroline felt the need to stop any conversation that she was no longer a part of. Mr. Darcy did not mind, for he found that talking with Rose was a dangerous thing. He had the feeling that she was teasing him, something that had never been done before.

Sarah looked at Rose before going to join Caroline at the pianoforte. Her friend was smiling deviously. _Darcy better watch his back_, she thought.

* * *

The next morning Sarah and Rose entered the drawing room to find all of the women of the Bennet household sitting on the settee. Bingley and Darcy stood behind the couch opposite, and Miss Bingley sat in front of them. Mrs. Bennet did not look at all happy and her frown deepened when Bingley smiled at Sarah. The pair curtsied and stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of where to go. The silence in the room was finally broken by Lydia, who couldn't seem to stand it any longer. Rose wondered how Caroline had managed it.

"Mr. Bingley! You will be holding a ball soon, as you promised?"

"Of course! You should receive my card today. If I had known you were coming to visit I would have waited to give it to you myself."

"Oh this is such good news! The militia is back in town, you should make sure they are invited as well."

Mrs. Bennet reached over and squeezed her daughter's hand, giving her a look that quickly quieted Lydia. She then turned and addressed the two young women standing in the doorway.

"Misses Evans we have come to take you back to Longbourn," she looked specifically at Sarah, "I am sure you are much better and we do not wish to further impress on your gracious hosts."

Mrs. Bennet left them with no room for argument (Rose personally was happy to go) and so they thanked the Bingleys and wished them well until the ball. As Mrs. Bennet herded them out Sarah paused to walk beside Mary who quickly whispered to her,

"Mother would have come to get you sooner but she was waiting for Jane and Lizzy to return. When they did not show I was afraid her nerves would not hold up." Sarah snorted a laugh but Mary gave her a sad look and said, "I am afraid she is going to try to kick you out of the house."

Sarah frowned, "Well we will just have to turn her attention from us and to the more important near future – the ball." Mary didn't look hopeful but Sarah skipped ahead towards Lydia. Rose hung back, she had caught what had transpired between the two and was pondering a solution for bringing Jane and Elizabeth back. She almost tripped stepping into the carriage and looked up in surprise when Darcy's hand reached out to steady her. He gave the most peculiar look, a mixture between longing and disgust, before turning back to the mansion.

Sarah's plan of turning the entire household of Longbourns attentions to the upcoming ball were not needed. Mr. Bennet was waiting for them to arrive with a letter from Mr. Collins and the news that he was to turn the Bennet's out of their house as soon as Mr. Bennet was dead.

Sarah rolled her eyes and Rose muttered, "Oh God" before disappearing into the house. They heard Mrs. Bennet shriek "Oh!" right before they shut the door.

Sarah turned to Rose and sighed, "Maybe we should leave Longbourn, at least for a couple of days. Better to avoid Collins; we wouldn't want him proposing to one of us!" The girls laughed as they went upstairs to retire to their room.

* * *

Mr. Collins arrived that night, his letter only just having preceded him. Sarah and Rose stated that they were exhausted from the events of the day and excused themselves from dinner. Mrs. Bennet was only too happy to oblige. They found out later from Mary, who had become quite a friend to Sarah, that Mr. Collins spent the whole of the evening complimenting the entire house and praising Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Neither Sarah nor Rose was surprised. Nor were they surprised that he had come to Longbourn with the intention to marry one of the Bennet daughters. This was his way of atoning for the fact that he was inheriting their father's estate. He believed himself to be very generous. Mary on the other hand was outraged and spent half the evening complaining about the matter. Sarah finally calmed her (before Rose could yell at her) and she politely sent Mary to bed.

Rose let out an exasperated sigh. "Sarah, what are we going to do? We have to get Elizabeth and Jane back here. Mrs. Bennet is probably planning to kill us in our sleep."

"We shall just have to keep one eye open then."

Rose tried to argue but Sarah refused to say anything more. She agreed with Rose, but had no idea how they would go about it. That damned attic door would not open, that they were positive of after spending the afternoon in the attic doing everything in their power to force it open. Arguing about it would get them nowhere and Sarah would prefer to sleep than spend the night fretting over something they could not change.

* * *

Lydia's intention of walking to Meryton the next morning was not forgotten; all the girls had agreed to go with the exception of Mary. Mr. Bennet requested that Mr. Collins join them but he was immediately met with a resounding no, and Rose quickly smiled and told him that they were making this a girls outing. Mr. Bennet was not pleased at spending another day with Mr. Collins, whom he found suffocating. But he was not a man to argue with his daughters.

The day was perfect weather for walking. Kitty and Lydia quickly skipped ahead, arm in arm, practically oblivious to the pair behind them. Their thoughts were already on the officers that they might run into in town. Rose and Sarah gladly hung back and both walked silently, lost in thought.

"Sarah," Rose suddenly said, startling Sarah, "sorry, I was just thinking about this weekend, at Netherfield. What happened between you and Bingley that day you went for a walk?" She started to say more but stopped when she saw the blush creep into Sarah's cheeks.

"We talked…..about a lot of nothing, really. I fed him some lies about 'our home'," Sarah raised her hands and made gestures with her fingers for emphasis, "and he talked about the weather; boring, polite conversation. I couldn't get anything interesting out of him! But I also wasn't telling him anything about myself either." Neither said anything for a moment, Sarah trying to decide if she wanted to continue. "And then…he kissed me."

"WHAT!"

Kitty and Lydia both stopped and turned to stare at Rose who was looking at Sarah in shock.

"Rose, do you have to be so loud?" She laughed and waved to the two Bennets in front of her to keep walking. "She's just a bit overdramatic," She said to them.

Rose was still looking at Sarah when she said, "I am not overdramatic!" and then more quietly, "I can't believe you kissed him!"

"I did NOT kiss him. _He_ kissed _me_. I almost slapped him to; I was so shocked by it. But I think it shocked him as well. I guess you noticed that he was quiet towards me that night?" Rose nodded. "The next night though he was the same as always. I'm wondering if he wrote it off as a dream or something. He never said anything to me about it and I was not about to mention it to him."

"I would have never expected him to…it's so out of character."

"Then again _we_ are not characters in this story at all, are we?" Sarah asked. "We just completely mess this story up! Is this some kind of crazy dream? What will happen once we leave here and Jane and Elizabeth come back? Does everything restart? Or do they forge a new story?" Sarah verbalized the questions that had been running through her head since they had arrived in this time. She looked over at Rose to see her agreeing; of course she had been plagued by the same questions.

"When we go back do we go back to the same time? Or will a few weeks have passed with everyone wondering where we are?"

"Oh my god," Sarah said slowly, "I've missed my flight. It would have been a few days ago."

Rose looked at Sarah, alarmed, "We have been here a week?" Rose tried to count the days in her head. "Oh – it's been almost two weeks. I hadn't noticed that we had been here that long."

Sarah turned at met Rose's alarmed expression with a grim one of her own. If their own time was also passing then they would be returning with no story to tell anyone where they had been. But that was only _if_ they did return. At that moment, Lydia ran back to join the pair. She fell into step with Sarah, linking arms with her. Kitty was quick to follow suit.

"A man in uniform! How can you resist?" Lydia said to her party but loud enough for those surrounding to hear. She was rewarded with a pair of officers pausing to see who had made the comment. "Oh! Mr. Denny!" Lydia exclaimed, recognizing the officer. The other man beside him immediately caught the attention of the four young women. He was very handsome, tall, well-built, and had a smile that would make any girl swoon.

"Miss Bennet, how lovely to see you. This gentleman here, Mr. Wickham, has just joined the regiment."

Lydia curtsied and replied, "How do you do Mr. Wickham? This is my sister Kitty, and our friends staying with us Misses Sarah and Rose Evans. We are going shopping for ribbons for a ball at Netherfield. Would you care to join us?"

Wickham inclined his head forward in a slight bow, "I would love to but I must decline. I am currently otherwise engaged at the moment." Here he gestured at his companion, Mr. Denny. "Perhaps we will run into each other later today." He looked at each girl in turn, his eyes coming to settle on Rose. She met his gaze, smiling slightly. He had an extremely cocky air and she could tell that he thought any girl would melt under his gaze. Rose was not that type of girl.

"Perhaps," Rose replied lightly, her smile turning to more of a smirk.

Lydia looked from Rose to Wickham, "Yes perhaps we shall. Good day Mr. Wickham, Mr. Denny." She blew them a kiss as she walked away, arm in arm with Kitty. Sarah smiled politely and murmured 'nice to meet you' before she and Rose followed after their companions.

"My god what an – "

"Extremely handsome gentleman," Sarah finished Rose's sentence and Rose shot her a look. Sarah whispered to her, "I know what you were going to say and you really must watch your language!"

Lydia watched the pair with attentive eyes. Sarah caught this and frowned. She didn't like Lydia, especially now that she was studying them. She was afraid Lydia was catching on more than she should. Rose had noticed as well.

"Wouldn't you agree Lydia?" Rose turned her cool blue eyes on Lydia as if to say, _Stay out of our business_.

"Agree with what?" Lydia replied, her tone innocent.

Kitty melted, "Oh Lydia! That Mr. Wickham is the most handsome man; far more handsome than Mr. Darcy or even Mr. Bingley!" At that Sarah jumped into the conversation stating that Mr. Bingley was no doubt the more attractive man. Lydia joined then, unable to resist any conversation concerning handsome men.

Rose rolled her eyes but was satisfied that Lydia's attention was averted. They would just have to be more careful. She walked beside Sarah, paying more attention to her thoughts than their conversation, when the sight of two men on horseback caught her attention. Though the pair was much further down the street she was certain it was two of the very men that her companions were discussing. It appeared Darcy and Bingley had come to town as well.

_This is starting to get too predictable_, thought Rose. But the thought quickly vanished when she remembered her earlier conversation with Sarah about Bingley. If Jane Austen's sweet and shy Mr. Bingley could pull a stunt like that, what were the rest of her characters capable of?


	6. Author's Note

Hello everyone! I so wish that this was another chapter for you to enjoy, but unfortunately it is not. Depressing news, I know. Apparently I have misplaced my copy of Pride and Prejudice…I think I may have left in the library…which is a shame because I dearly loved that copy. I will have to buy a new one which I intend to do tomorrow morning! All work on the next chapter is currently paused, as I derive my inspiration from the novel and use it to help guide my story. (I also tend to get some events mixed up.) As it has been some time since my last chapter I did not want anyone thinking I had given up on this story, for I love it dearly! I hope to have a new chapter soon but in the meantime I pray for your patience!

Much love, UnwrittenLaw

...I just noticed my chapters got progressively longer as the story has gone on :)


	7. The Truth Comes Out, a Little At a Time

A/N: I know many of you probably thought I had abandoned this story as it has been a good month since my last update. With school coming to a close November has been a stressful month for me. I wrote this chapter at the end of October but was trying to include the ball at Netherfield. Unfortunately I never found the time to finish it. I apologize for this short chapter, but it is better than no chapter at all! Finals are next week (wahoo!) and I will be able to relax somewhat until school begins again in January. I hope to work on this story much more as well!

As always, I do not own any characters or events that Jane Austen has created. Enjoy!

* * *

Rose and Sarah endured a long morning of looking at ribbons and fabric. Shopping in the early 1800's was much different than what they were accustomed to. Clothes were all custom made. Instead of trying on different dresses one would go through patterns and fabrics. It was much more difficult trying to imagine what the finish product would be like, let alone how it would look once on. Kitty and Lydia each bought new ribbons, Sarah bought a pair of gloves to go with a dress she had previously decided to borrow from Jane, and Rose picked out a lovely blue fabric for a new gown. Though she had not intended to buy a gown, Rose was persuaded by Sarah after she saw the seamstress eying a gold ring on her friend's finger. Gold, it seemed, could be used to buy just about anything.

Lydia persuaded the group to take a longer route home that followed the river. She stated that the longer it took to arrive home, the less time they had to spend with the insufferable Mr. Collins. It was not a few minutes later that her true intentions were revealed when they passed by the militia's camp.

"I should have known," Sarah muttered to Rose who rolled her eyes.

"Really, Sarah, I'd much rather spend my afternoon talking to military men than Mr. Collins." She smiled at a young man in uniform who gave a small bow in return. "They are at least more enjoyable to look at."

Mr. Wickham appeared at that moment, falling into step beside Rose. "Why thank you, though I must say a flattering compliment such as that one might increase my pride."

"If you knew Mr. Collins you would know that was hardly a compliment."

Wickham laughed, "Well I will consider it a compliment that you choose to spend your afternoon with me." They had walked near the bank and Wickham leaned against a tree his eyes trained on Rose. "Are you ladies from America?"

Rose stopped, startled. Then remembering that she was the one with the accent she replied, "Yes." She turned slightly away from him, looking across the water.

"That is a long journey across the ocean. Why did you come here?"

Aware of Sarah's eyes on her, Rose answered cautiously, "To get away. I needed a change of scenery." A curl escaped the pin holding it back but Rose didn't bother to fix it. She was focused on the two men riding in their direction on the other side of the river. Hearing hoof beats Sarah looked in that direction as well; Wickham was the last to look away from Rose.

Darcy and Bingley slowed their horses as they recognized the girls. Lydia and Kitty had come over and they greeted the riders. Bingley was grinning from ear to ear in stark contrast from his companion who was scowling. Darcy nodded a curt hello then quickly took off at a gallop, leaving Bingley to hurriedly apologize and follow in haste.

"Mr. Darcy did not look at all well," Kitty noted.

"Come on Kitty! When have you ever seen that man smile?" Lydia replied, flouncing around waving her ribbons in the air. Sarah laughed and sat down next to Kitty on the grass.

"I don't think he smiled the entire time Rose and I stayed with him!"

"You stayed with Darcy?" Wickham's tone made Rose look at him with apprehension.

"We stayed at Netherfield where he is currently residing. We were there for a few days while Sarah recovered from a riding accident."

"How long has he been staying there?"

"About a month now," Rose stared straight at Wickham as she added, "You do not like Mr. Darcy."

Wickham looked questioningly at Rose. She would have to start remembering that she was not supposed to know anything about these people despite what she had learned from Jane Austen.

"Mr. Darcy and I were once very good friends. It is unfortunate that he became jealous of me and chose to ignore his father's wishes." Sarah and Rose remained silent, for they already knew the story. The other girls were too curious and Wickham explained his history with Darcy to them.

"Oh how terrible!" Lydia looked tenderly at Wickham, "I cannot believe that anyone would have such dislike of you. What could have caused him to behave so cruelly?"

Before Wickham could reply Rose cut in, "What about Darcy's sister?" Rose glared at him but Wickham did not react like she expected. His blue eyes saddened and his brows pulled together. Rose could not place his emotion; he did not look sad but more….tormented.

"Mr. Darcy has a sister?"

The look vanished as Wickham replied to Lydia, "Yes. I have not seen her for quite some time but I hear she is quite an accomplished young woman of fifteen or sixteen."

"I cannot understand how Mr. Bingley can stand to be around such a man." Kitty thought aloud, oblivious to the fact that she was a step behind the conversation.

"I do not know of him."

"Oh he is very agreeable, isn't he Miss Evans?" Lydia wiggled her ribbons in front of Sarah who blushed.

"Yes. He is a sweet tempered, amiable, charming man."

"You are quite taken with Mr. Bingley?"

Sarah's blushed deepened-the curse of a redhead, "I, I –no. He is just very kind." Everyone laughed causing Sarah to bury her head in her lap. "It's that obvious?"

"Yes! Especially with Bingley always grinning like an idiot whenever he sees you!"

"All that proves is that _he _is quite taken with _me_!" Sarah stood up, brushing the dirt off her skirts and walked away from the group. Kitty glanced at Lydia before jumping up and running after the redhead. Lydia sighed and trudged after her sister.

Rose regarded Wickham coolly while waiting for Lydia to be out of eavesdropping range. He was sitting on the ground now with his back against the tree. His eyes were closed, face turned towards the sun to enjoy the afternoon sunshine. His light brown hair was pulled back into a low pony tail and Rose imagined pulling out that hair tie and running her fingers through his hair…._What?! No. Stop thinking about that right now. You have a handsome, funny, and sweet boyfriend waiting for you back home. He's probably waiting for you to message him so you can video chat-Oh my god. I haven't talked to him in over two weeks. I bet he just thinks I'm mad at him. I mean last time he made me angry I didn't talk to him for what, four days? Oh lord! It's been almost three times as long! _

Wickham spoke aloud, causing Rose to stop mid-step in her pacing and stare at him with a lost expression.

"I'm sorry? What did you just ask?"

"I asked," he said slowly so she could hear every word, "What are you thinking?" Blue eyes twinkled and a smile played about the corner of his mouth. Rose wanted to punch that mouth. _Yes, much better._

"I was just thinking about my boyfriend back home."

"Boyfriend?"

_Oh shit, right, they didn't have boyfriends. Um…do I say he's courting me? No, that just sounds retarded. _"My fiancé."

Wickham raised both eyebrows, "Fiancé? I don't see a ring on your finger."

She looked down involuntarily at her left hand, fingers void of any kind of ring. "It is being sized. It was too small."

"And does this Mr, um,"

"Mr. Knightly."

"Does Mr. Knightly have a sizeable fortune?"

This time it was Rose who raised her eyebrows, "Yes," She answered warily.

"Of course," Wickham nodded, "of course he does. That makes him the perfect man to marry."

Rose jumped forward, though Wickham did not flinch. She managed to keep her hands in balled fists by her side, despite the fact that she wished to connect them with his jaw. "That is not the reason I am marrying him! I love him."

"Please forgive me, I was only joking. Of course you love him." Wickham had stood and bowed to Rose, then held his hand out. Rose just stared at it; he was an arrogant bastard who had just insulted her. No way would he have her forgiveness. When he realized this Wickham dropped his hand and looked at her with sincerity in his eyes. "Miss Evans. I am truly sorry. I did not know that was sensitive subject for you."

"Sensitive subject? Oh my god!" Rose turned away from him laughing, thoroughly confusing Wickham.

"What have I done to make you so angry, then?"

"You have to ask? Oh come on Wickham, you know the answer to this one! Georgianna Darcy?" Wickham stared at Rose, bewildered. "And that crap about how Darcy dislikes you and he's such a terribly prideful man. That is such bullshit!"

Wickham took a step back, further distancing himself from Rose. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Rose turned to look at Wickham, "You persuaded Georgianna to runaway with you and get married. That is why Darcy dislikes."

Wickham's expression relaxed and he even let out a laugh. "Where ever did you hear this outrageous story from? Or did you make that up? If so you should write stories, you are very good at it."

"I didn't make it up! Why then did Darcy react the way he did when he saw you?"

Wickham was serious again and he looked up at Rose as he said, "I did not persuade Miss Darcy to runaway with me. She is quite like her brother-extremely proud and stubborn-she would never do such a thing. A few months before I came here I had asked Miss Darcy to marry me. She refused me and Darcy was angered that I had not gone to him first. I was foolish and blinded by what I thought was love. We spent so much time together as children I thought…but no. She is more like a sister to me; though I have realized this too late."

He finished speaking, his eyes still on Rose. She felt he expected her to say something, but she could not make any words come. Wickham did not appear to be lying. His expression was too genuine, too heartfelt. She could not doubt what he was saying but the words of Jane Austen did not agree. Could Ms. Austen have been wrong again?

Sarah and Kitty came over breaking the strange wave of tension between Rose and Wickham. The girls wished him good day before extracting Lydia from conversation with a few of the military officers. The walk back to Longbourn was full of talk of the ball and which dance partners they hoped to have. They all differed on this topic with one exception; none of the girls wanted to dance with Mr. Collins. Rose kept quiet most of the way, earning a few glances from Sarah. But she did not ask, letting Rose enjoy the comfort of her own thoughts.


	8. Love the Way You Lie

A/N: Sorry everyone! I wrote two chapters over the course of Spring semester but never had time to type them up. Spring was extremely busy! And well this summer…I just got lazy and focused on working and summer classes. I can't promise anything, but I will tell you that I am going to finish this story! I just dunno how long it will take me…

* * *

Though Rose knew Wickham would not show she half expected him to. She hoped he would prove Jane Austen wrong. But when the party from Longbourn arrived a pang of disappointment hit Rose after Lydia asked some of the militia men if he would be coming. In a gown of deep emerald with her red hair in curls piled on top of her head, Sarah caught the eye of many. As they had nothing to do the entire day Rose had occupied herself with forcing Sarah's usually straight hair to curl. Rose's own hair was half up, the other half in its usual curls hanging down her back. The dress Rose had ordered turned out lovely, the blue of the dress played up her own sparkling blue eyes.

The girls mingled with the guests, noting who they hoped to dance with and which they would avoid. Sarah was the first to be asked to dance, by Bingley of course, and quickly followed by the others. Rose soon found herself standing with Charlotte Lucas and reluctantly made conversation. After a few dances Sarah came over to the pair, face flushed from the light exercise.

"Enjoy yourself?" Rose asked smugly. Sarah frowned and ignored her sarcastic remark; she was going to enjoy herself regardless of Rose's sour attitude. Just because her boyfriend was not in this time period did not mean that she had to act like a three year old. Rose sighed and stepped outside onto the large front porch of Netherfield. It was quiet outside with only a few couples milling about. Rose breathed in the fresh night air and leaned against the railing.

Rose heard footsteps approaching but didn't turn around. She was startled to see a figure standing beside her. When they did not say anything Rose looked up and saw Darcy, staring off into the distance. It always surprised her how much taller he seemed when she was right next to him. Rose forced herself to stand straighter despite the fact that she felt like shrinking back into the shadows.

"Can I help you?"

Darcy looked down at Rose, his expression puzzled, "No."

"You're confused."

"I do not understand why you thought I needed help."

"You were standing next to me, not saying anything, and it was kind of creeping me out."

"Are all Americans like you?"

"What?"

"Do they talk like you?"

Rose shrugged, "Oh, yeah, pretty much."

"Pretty much?"

Rose laughed, "Never mind." She patted his chest and walked back into the party. Just a few steps in the door and she was immediately accosted by Mr. Collins, whom she had been successfully avoiding until now. After enduring a dance of mortification with Mr. Collins who often went in the wrong direction, Rose's toes were bruised and throbbing. Even though she knew none of the dances she managed much better than Collins who looked like he was the imposter in this time period. The conversation did not afford to save his atrocious dancing and Rose refused to respond with more than a small movement of her head.

* * *

When the dancing finished Rose disappeared from the floor before Mr. Collins could ask for a second. She found Sarah and pulled her into a dark corner. "Save me!" Rose was slightly breathless from moving quickly, "Collins is absolutely ridiculous. God knows why he brought such a awful human being in existence."

Sarah laughed at Rose's statement. Leave it to her best friend to state her mind. Rose regarded the redhead, "Were you dancing with Bingley again?"

Sarah shook her head, "I was dancing with Darcy actually. He was completely silent and positively boring."

"What else did you expect? He's silent, brooding and serious. I don't know how anyone could ever find his personality attractive. His only saving grace is his gorgeous face!"

They giggled, for a long moment before finally stopping to catch their breath. "I did dance with one of the militia men," Sarah started, "We talked about Wickham." Rose gave her friend a warning look. "I just asked a few questions. I wanted to learn more about him. Honestly, out of all of Jane Austen's characters in Pride and Prejudice I'm surprised to find that Wickham is the most mysterious. The officer didn't have much to say about him, apparently he keeps to himself."

Rose raised her eyebrows. She had always thought if Wickham were to live in the 21st century he would be the playboy type. She shook the thoughts out of her mind – their little adventure in the world of Jane Austen was revealing much more complex characters than they realized.

The pair went in search of Charlotte, Sarah finally spotting her on the edge of the dance floor. But before they reached her Rose was stopped by Darcy who asked her to dance. She gave Sarah a look of distaste before stepping onto the dance floor. They danced in silence until Rose decided to have a bit of fun. "I do enjoy this dance, Mr. Darcy, do you not?"

"I do." Darcy went silent after his reply, purposefully looking away to avoid conversation. Rose chose to ignore this.

"It is your turn to say something Mr. Darcy. I commented on the dance, you should comment on the room or number of couples."

"Do you, by rule, talk while dancing?"

"I, by rule, talk all the time Mr. Darcy," Rose smirked.

"I believe, then, that you should practice a bit of self-control."

"Oh but I do." Rose thought about all that she would have liked to tell him but refrained from doing so. In her mind, she had definitely been practicing a lot of self-control. "If it pleases you I shall be silent."

Rose caught what looked like surprise flicker across his face. They were silent again, until Darcy asked if she often walked to Meryton.

"Often enough. When I last saw you there we had just happened to make a new acquaintance."

Darcy's frown further deepened (something Rose had thought impossible until that moment) and it caused her to stay silent.

Finally, Darcy spoke, "Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may insure his making friends – whether he may be equally capable of retaining them is less certain."

Rose shook her head, of course Darcy wouldn't say any more on the subject. She was so engrossed in their conversation that she almost missed Sir William approaching them. "Excuse me for interrupting – such superior dancing is not often observed. Allow me to say, however that –"

"Oh look!" Rose exclaimed, startling both men, "Mary is on the pianoforte, I do love to hear her play." Rose looked at Darcy excitedly, "Would you escort me to the next room so I may hear her?" Darcy could only stutter a reply as she took his arm and led _him_ from the room. Once in the next room Rose sighed in relief, thankful she had taken Darcy away before Sir William could mention anything about Sarah and Bingley. Wait – why did she feel the need to keep Darcy from noticing how engrossed in each other they were? Would she not rather the two get over each other already?

"What think you of books?" Darcy asked interrupting Rose's confused thoughts.

"I uh, love books," replied Rose, her thoughts scattered, "but I do not think we have read any of the same."

"And what books do you think I have read?"

"Boring ones." Darcy looked appalled for a moment and Rose mentally slapped herself before quickly trying to apologize when Darcy laughed.

Yes, Fitzwilliam Darcy actually laughed.

Rose stared at him in astonishment.

"Miss Evans you puzzle me exceedingly and I cannot begin to try to understand your character. Yet you seem to think you understand mine completely. I regret to inform you that any reports you have heard of me vary greatly and you could not successfully sketch my character at this moment." Darcy's expression returned to its usual indifference as he gave a slight bow before walking away.

Rose was still standing in the same spot, stunned, when Caroline Bingley glided towards her with an expression of civil disdain. "Miss Rose, I hear you have been charmed by Mr. Wickham. Your sister has been asking questions about him and I must be the one to tell you that he was the son of old Wickham, the late Mr. Darcy's steward. I do not know the particulars but I know very well that Mr. Darcy is not in the least to blame, that he cannot bear to hear George Wickham mentioned, and that though my brother thought that he could not avoid including him in his invitation to the officers, he was excessively to find that he had taken himself out of the way. I pity you for the discovery of your favorite one's guilt. But really considering his descent, one could not -"

"Caroline," Rose interrupted, "That was by far the longest run on sentence I have ever heard. His descent and guilt, by your account, appear to be the same for I have heard you accuse him of nothing worse than being the son of Mr. Darcy's steward."

"I beg your pardon," sneered Caroline, "I meant nothing but kindness."

Rose laughed, "To what, warn me? Good job of that because you have said nothing that I did not already know. It would benefit you to keep your mouth shut on the subject of Mr. Wickham as there is much that you do not know."

Caroline looked shocked for a moment before covering it with a grimace and stalking off. Rose shook her head and walked in the opposite direction in search of Sarah. "Why did you have to go telling everyone that I wanted to know about Wickham?"

"I didn't! I was very sly about it actually, just slipping questions of the militia into conversation." Sarah took a step back as Rose glared at her, "Oh come on Rose, someone probably made it up. This town is obviously very capable of that."

Rose sighed, "Such drama. I think it's worse than in our own time, at least we don't have whole towns talking about us!"


End file.
